The Week the Doctor Came to Stay
by Bad Wolf and Timelords
Summary: Set after The Angels Take Manhattan. After River Song leaves the Doctor, just before he gets time to grieve, Bree calls him over... then corners him to stay... for a week. The first story in the short series I made called Doctor Who: Healing. See my community by the same name for the rest of the stories.


A week.

Bree had somehow managed to convince him to stay for a full week.

And it was driving him mad.

He wasn't use to staying in one place for a long period of time; he was use to a life of on the go, always moving, never stopping. Just like the universe. Now he was stuck in a standstill life in a safe house on the request of a friend. He had nothing against Bree, she was a long-time friend (for him anyway, for her it had only been almost a year since she first actually made contact with him), and he eventually came to see her as a very close friend, even a sister; just as she saw him as close friend and a brother. Bree was fun, curious, level yet hot headed, and just as crazy as himself, but…

He had gotten the call from her not to long after River had left him, leaving him to grieve over the loss of Amy and Rory. She asked him to pop by, so without having the Pond's in tow anymore he ran off to the coordinates she had given him, shortly ending up at her safe house (Which was not in her native country might he add, but at least the date was right this time.) After a few hours, that's when Bree had cornered him and asked if he could stay; for a week.

And stupidly, he had agreed without thinking twice. It was just that right now he needed someone there for him, to try and fill the hole.

Bree tried to make his stay fun; having friends over, going out to eat, going to fun places in around town. She had even showed him one of the many Plumber bases in the town, which turned out to be hidden far in the earth under the basement of the house. So much alien technology he never knew existed, so that was interesting. But the three friends that Bree had invited over were active Plumbers, fighting aliens on a daily basis (which personally he didn't like the idea of three teenagers running around town fighting dangerous aliens alone,) which also for some reason Bree had hid from him. So he was kept in the dark in the dark while Bree stayed with him instead of going off with the others doing "good". She had warned him before that she was involved with numerous alien protection programs in North America, although the Doctor wouldn't have minded so much if she hadn't have known about Torchwood, but she had connections there too.

So instead, they sat around, not doing much instead of the pairs' usual: running for their lives. But this, this type of lifestyle was driving him mad. Bonkers. He had to at least try to slip away for a little bit, even if there was only one day left to go. He had the key hovering inches away from the TARDIS lock when her voice piped up from behind him.

"Where're you going Doctor?" Bree asked from behind, her natural accent and her adopted accent blending together as she switched from one to the other. Breathing out heavily, the Doctor turned to look at the girl staring at him curiously a few feet away.

"I'm sorry Bree; I know you asked for me to stick around but…" he tried to avoid looking her in the eye as he combed his hand through his hair. "I can't stay." Bree's eyebrows rose.

"What do you mean you can't stay?" her voice was steady.

"I can't do this whole... everyday thing like you can. It's boring and repetitive tiring. I don't see how you can stand it." No sooner were the words out of his mouth the Doctor realized he had just stepped way out of line.

Bree's face fell as she quickly processed the Doctors' words; the mask she had worked so hard to build, shattering into dust. "How can you stand it?" she whispered, her British guise slipping a bit. "How can I stand it! That's the problem Doctor, I can't stand it! I hate it! I find everyday life boring! Get up, go to school, eat ham sandwiches, go home, go to sleep, and all the while waiting and hoping for you to show up! It's repetitive and boring, just like you said!" her voice was at a normal volume now, but the Doctor could tell Bree was fighting to keep it like that, her voice starting to break. "I live to travel, I live for adventure. I asked you to stay for a reason you know." Bree said quietly. The Doctor stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Which was?"

"To have you around." Her native accent was slipping in again. "Doctor, every time I'm with you all we do is run and I love it, don't get me wrong. But then just like that," she snapped her fingers, "you're gone, and for the longest time too. And…" she choked back a sob.

"I miss you." Her North American accent slipped back home, and Bree was speaking in her normal accent again, and this time, she was no longer "Bree".

"Every hour and every minute I miss you, and wish that you'll show up again. It was driving me insane. This was the only way I could make sure you would stay." She poured her heart out to the Time Lord, who stood there speechless. "And for my birthday too." She added through tears.

The Doctor took a long look at her for a moment before pulling her into a hug, which she gladly accepted and returned. He quietly breathed the girls' true name into her soft hair as she cried into his chest, soaking his shirt in the process. The pair just stood there in front of the TARDIS for the longest time, neither one breaking away. When they finally did, the Doctor mumbled the sniffling teens' name again, making her weakly smile at him.

"I'm sorry; I haven't been a very good house guest. I'll stay for as long as you'd like, I… missed you too…" he shuffled his weight shyly. The girl smiled widely this time, her alias returning.

"Thanks Doctor." Bree said.

"Oh and happy birthday. Again, even though it was a week ago." He added smiling, making Bree smile even bigger than before.

Shuffling forward, Bree wrapped her arms around the Doctors' torso gently once again. "I love you Doctor." she mumbled into his damp shirt, her real accent still in effect. The Doctor returned the hug.

"I love you too." He mumbled her real name again; only this time adding _crazy_ afterwards. Bree squeezed him tighter in response, rolling her eyes as well. Moving back, she shook her head with a silly, yet caring and gentle smile on her face.

"Doctor you're sweet." She said.

The Doctor looked to the TARDIS longingly for a moment before replying. "Hold that thought." Turning back to her slightly, he offered her his left hand. "Want to go somewhere that's _not_ here? Meaning somewhere else in time and space?" he smiled as Bree accepted his hand, slipping her small hand into his own with ease and familiarity, no hesitation whatsoever.

Rolling her eyes she said "Ungh finally! I thought you would _never _ask!" before together they walked into the TARDIS, ready for a new adventure; the blue doors slamming shut behind them.


End file.
